A Look at Some Common Preventable Restaurant Health Violations

When you make the decision to invest in a new restaurant, your first step should be to strategize a design plan and acquire the supplies, equipment, and disposables necessary to get your business up and running. Make sure your kitchen maintains the highest degree of safety and sanitation by avoiding these common but preventable restaurant health violations.

Poorly Maintained Surfaces When you construct your restaurant, make sure that your non-food contact surfaces are smooth, easily cleanable, and in accordance with your state’s Health Department rules for acceptable surface materials. Inspectors also frequently cite restaurants for food surfaces that are improperly designed, chipped or broken, or unclean. In order to avoid a citation for faulty supplies or equipment, invest in quality cutting boards that are not easily pitted or grooved.

Pest-Promoting Conditions Another common health violation occurs if a restaurant’s facilities or equipment promotes pests. For example, inspectors may cite wet or unclean floors, surfaces, or equipment, or grease, oil, and food particles left in these areas. Food and garbage should always be stored in vermin-proof containers, and cracks and crevices in doors, walls, and cabinets should be sealed. A restaurant that has openings that allow cockroaches or rodents to enter is usually in violation of the health code.

Contaminated Food Restaurant owners usually know to keep their facilities free of mold, pests, leaky pipes, and other obvious health violations. But did you know that holding food at the incorrect temperature and improperly storing food are two of the most common violations? Be sure to monitor the temperature of food in hot and cold storage and invest in high-quality equipment that can keep your food at the correct holding temperature.

The restaurants in Washington D.C., New York City, and Philadelphia are some of the most bustling establishments in the United States. To learn more about how investing in quality equipment and supplies can help your restaurant maintain a safe and healthy work environment for all customers and staff, call CuliQuip today at (240) 489-2588.